But I digress, Marseille, France, and a test match against the French.  It was a forgone conclusion though, from the anthems.  The French tears and insane looks were missing as they belted out La Marseillaise, and I thought then, "we're going to win this".  Then in the second spell, when Chabel carted the ball up before being stopped dead  by Kaino, that was when you knew it was safe, and it was not if, but by how much.

Five tries in the 39-12 win, four to the outside backs, and one from a French fed scrum on their own line - it doesn't get any better than that, and apart from Smith's burgled try, all gems.  Although the Smith try was a gem too, and much deserved, Smith would have to be my man of the match this week.

Sivivatu's try on the back of come fine lead up work by Nonu and then just his own 0-100 pace in half a step making the French defenders look like cart horses. 

Muliaina scored after a French kick was not returned off the boot, but with interest, via hands, Sivi breaks, draws the fullback and feeds Mils, who had the vision to start the whole thing, and the nous to run the right support lines and get the five pointer for his troubles!

Jane's try a superb individual effort, fending off his opposite, keeping to his feet, and centre kicking, then scoring the try.  If he had not through, you had Kieran Read and Conrad Smith the next two closest to the ball.  Just superb individual skills from Jane, who must now have cemented that 14 jersey for test matches.  He, Sivi and Mils were lethal from the back, and without a doubt, the best back three we have in the country today.

The forwards try though, was a gem, especially after the pressure the Frogs had been putting on the All Black scrum.  At times Hore had not been able to lift a foot to strike the ball on our own feed.  But that mattered not when we shunted them off their own ball, on their line, and Kaino scrambled the ball over the line for a soul destroying five pointer. 

Defence.  Again, wow.  Twice we were split open like an axe through a rotten melon, and both times the scramble back on defence was superb.  IN the second spell when the Frog centre ran through Carter, the breakdown  ending a few metres from the All Black line - one of the first back there, Tom Donnelly.  That is the desperation that we need and want to see from our tight forwards, and the type of play that will win test matches that matter.  It doesn't get better than that - pride in holding the line intact must be pretty huge in the AB side at the moment.

So as mentioned above, the back four all had top games, as did Nonu and Carter.  Nonu trying a bit much on his won in the second spell, but still a top game from him.  Carter's second half, where he started running was pretty nice to see too.  His abiity to break out of tackles, for a seemingly slight guy just freakish.  Just forced the pass a few times when he perhaps should have taken the tackle.  But a small quibble in an almost 30 point win!

Cowan, again, serviceable.  What the Cartel would give for a genuine world class halfback would be anyone's guess, but I bet it would be close to a left testicle at least.  Probably the only position at the moment that is really letting the All Blacks down. 

The forward pack battled throughout, winning the battle for the loose ball, losing, overall, the trench warfare at scrum time, and on a par at lineout time.  Although the scrum did win a few battles, the overall war was lost, but not a surrender, a negotiated peace, more so when the Frog hooker and prop were replaced!  It was fun to watch though, as the French props headbutted each other in delight after the first scrum of the game when they folded Tialata and company up.  But in the long run, the All Blacks got the last laugh, and a try, and a convincing win.  They will not be happy though, not completely, with the scrum set piece - it was very patchy.

Fatties in the small numbers.  Woodcock and Hore superb, and hats off to Tialata, he arrived on tour after having traded in his get out of jail free card in, and has been superb.  I thought he would not be mentally tough enough to keep going after the All Black scrum was smashed about in the first few engagements, but the big man showed some heart.  Fantastic to see, lets just hope that it can carry on next season, and he doesn't have to go through all this again.  After 40 odd tests, he must know what it takes to stay at the top, and it ain't a weekly visit to KFC for a family pack!

Thorn and Donnelly got through a power of work, if there was a ruck or maul where a five or a four was not in attendance, I want a note from them please!  Front row too, if there was a chance to hit a ruck, and a Frenchman at the same time, it was not turned down!  Lineout functioning well too, with a little help from the tall timber in the loose forwards being genuine lineout options, all three of the loosies being top targets.

And the loosies, top shelf stuff, led by the IRB player of the year, Richie McCaw.  McCaw, just read any report on any game he played this year, and change the opposition.  He is superb, wekk in and week out, I don't think any other player of any era can even begin to compare.  He was ably backed up by Read and Kaino.  Read rapidly turning into another Mr Reliable.  He doesn't turn in dud games either, and Kaino at last found some of the form that saw him pushing Jerry Colins hard a year or three ago.  As a trio, these three, four if you count Thomo, are rapidly becoming the cornerstone of this pack.

A fine finish to a tough season where the olde Foe, the Bokke were not beaten, and in many matches it was a struggle to win.  But at the end of the season, the All Blacks were playing a lot better than they were at the start, so it has not been a season wasted, but a good first step towards peaking at 2011, as opposed to peaking now!

Roll on 2010.